Page 2

Rebel

S he was here. Right fucking here in town. That thought swirled in my mind on repeat for the past two days. A woman who crossed my mind at least once a day for the last six years, who I pined over for weeks after one incredible night, who turned me off the idea of love and relationships completely. Yeah, my feelings for Nikki were complicated, at least I thought they were, until I heard her voice on the radio while I was working on Hollywood’s old-ass bike.

It was like a blast from the motherfuckin’ past, that husky voice with the melodic cadence like she was always singing her words, it was unforgettable. And then I listened to what she was talking about—loyalty and bonds forged on the road—and I was hooked. Every syllable. Every word. That sexy little laugh, all of it took me back to the ‘Rock Out in the Desert’ festival where we’d met. Her words sounded as if they were meant for me.

Just for me.

A ridiculous fucking thought, I realized, but only after I told the story about saving Maverick’s ass on the highway, altering a few details since it wasn’t exactly legal. She’d been enthralled with the story, totally fucking engaged as she asked about friendship.

And then her voice faltered and that’s when I knew.

She felt it too.

She didn’t know it was me, couldn’t because I’d given her my first name rather than my club name when I met her, but she’d felt that connection. That hitch in her voice and the way it had gone low and smoky told me as much, and honestly that shit freaked me the fuck out and I ended the call as fast as I could.

I ended the call, but I listened to the full broadcast, desperate to hear more of her voice, to learn more about her. Nikki didn’t give out many details about her life, but she’d given me something more important, a legitimate reason to track her down and see her.

Again.

“Get your thumb outta your ass Rebel. We need to get going.” Maverick snapped his fingers in front of my face, smirking when I blinked away the fog and glared at him. “Thank fuck I’m on your side or you’d be dead right now.”

“Asshole,” I mumbled and pushed off my bike, turning back to the clubhouse where T-bone, Pike, and a couple other prospects finished loading up the vans so we could all head to the desert. “Need some help?”

“Nah,” Pike flashed a big boyish grin. “This is it and we’re ready to hit the road.”

“Good. I need some fucking coffee.” It was early in the morning, and we had a lot of miles to cover before we could set up our booth at the festival. Then I would seek out Nikki and see what she had to say for herself.

Not that I expected anything. Not really. But dammit, we’d had a good day together. No, fuck that, it was a great day. We met at the festival, laughed and talked about our love of rock music and the open road. We shared a few beers and later, a bed. Nikki was the first woman who’d ever really made me want more than one night or a few nights. Months after our night together, I still jumped every fucking time the phone rang, hoping that it was her, but it never was.

She never called.

At first, I was angry, pissed off that she’d blown me off without a word. And then I questioned myself and my memories as I considered that maybe I’d imagined our connection. That, maybe, she hadn’t felt it as keenly. After the anger faded, the hurt settled in deep. I wasn’t used to women ghosting on me, I was usually the asshole in those situations. But the hurt lingered longer than I expected so I’d thrown myself headfirst into my MC, the businesses, and looking for ways to help us stack our cash.

There were women, of course there were, but I never let them stick around for more than a night. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Except here I am, at the same festival where I met her all those years ago, trying to track her down.

“Something must be wrong with my fucking head.”

“Of course there is,” Hawk joked and smacked me on the back. “But we all promised not to say anything about it anymore.” He laughed and leaned against the booth beside me, both of us staring into the packed festival grounds. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” I knew what he was asking, and I felt the weight of his stare, but I refused to budge.

“Bullshit. You’ve been distant and quiet for the past few days. You didn’t even give Hollywood any shit when you caught him and Winter making out in the Demon Head Guns office.”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched since I haven’t kept my feelings on all the new women around the clubhouse a secret. “Nothing I can do about it.” Truth was I’d been too distracted thinking about Nikki to give them any shit. “I’ll be sure to fuck with him when we get back.”

“You seriously gonna keep whatever’s bothering you to yourself?”

“Nothing to keep secret, ‘cause nothing is bothering me.” Nothing except the gorgeous blonde on stage welcoming the huge crowd to the festival. She looked even better than I remembered, and my fingers itched to feel that hair in my grasp again, the soft skin just below her belly button, the way her pussy gripped me like a glove. “I’m gonna wander,” I muttered and walked off, Hawk’s laughter echoed after me until it was swallowed up by the other vendors, the roar of motorcycles and classic cars, music, and laughter.

I looked up again and kept my gaze on Nikki, like she was my North Star, pulling me forward. But my path was interrupted by a tiny tornado that slammed against my legs. “Sowwy mister.” The little girl’s words came out through heartbreaking sniffles.

I crouched down, so we were eye to eye. Her green eyes were big and watery, her pink cheeks stained with streaks of her tears. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She looked up at me, warily at first, before she looked left and then right, not seeing whoever she was looking for, the little girl sighed, deciding I was her best bet. “I can’t find my Mia.”

Mia must be her mom. “Okay, where did you last see your Mia?”

“Don’t. Know.” She sniffled again, trying like hell not to cry. “She said to wait, and I did, a long time and she didn’t come back.” She wiped her tears. “I got scared.”

“Of course you did.” I rubbed her back and tried to soothe her in the manner I’d seen my club brothers do to their kids. In addition to more women in the clubhouse, there were also plenty of kids ranging from fourth graders to newborn babies. It was turning into a goddamn daycare center at times. It seemed to work, and her sobbing slowed. “It’s okay to be scared. What’s your name?”

She leans in close and whispers, “Olivia.”

“Hey Olivia. I’m Rebel.”

She giggled through her tears. “That’s a funny name.” Her green eyes were familiar, but I chalked that up to the fact that most little kids looked the same to me. But the way she put her trust in me, placing her tiny hand in mine as if she knew me, left me unsettled in a way I couldn’t explain.

“Is it?”

She nodded and laughed again. “Yep.”

“It’s what my friends call me.”

“My friends call me Liv or Livvy.”

“Okay Liv, I’ll stick with you until your Mia comes back. Okay?”

“Okay.” She gave my hand a little squeeze and attempted to tug me through the crowd. She stopped when it was clear she wasn’t strong enough and turned to me. “I can’t see nothin’.” She extended both arms in the air, which I learned recently was kid speak for ‘pick me up’.

I thought about it for a moment, because you heard all sorts nowadays, and I didn’t want any rabid parent getting the wrong idea. But the quicker I got this kid back to her mom, the quicker I could go back to figuring out how I was gonna approach Nikki. “All right, munchkin, come on.” I picked her up and put her on my back. “Hang on tight but not too tight.”

“I love piggyback rides.”

Her legs were hooked around my forearms, and she was secure, which gave me another moment to admire Nikki up in the booth, laughing with one of her callers. She was so beautiful, so full of life, and I was equal parts pissed off and turned on by her.

“I like your jacket.”

I laughed, “Thanks, Liv.”

“Why are you all dressed the same?”

“Because my friends and I have a club, and this is our club gear.” That was the easiest explanation for kid who seemed to be no more than four.

“Oh, what kinda club?”

“A motorcycle club. We ride our bikes and hang out.” And we kicked ass, made money, and partied like the sun wouldn’t come up tomorrow. At least we used to.

“Cool.” She fell silent but I felt the swivel of her head and her body as we wandered through the festival. “Can little kids join your club?”

I laughed and turned my profile to her. “Only if you’re related to one of the club members, otherwise you have to wait until you’re a grown up.”

The heavy sigh she let out was hilarious. “I always gotta wait ‘til I’m big. It’s not fair.”

“Yeah, but we’ve all been there. Just enjoy being a kid while you can, because you’ll be a grownup before you know it.” Where in the hell did that come from? I’ve definitely spent too much time with all the kids in the MC lately, but dammit the little fuckers were adorable. And they were like sponges, every fuck that came out of my mouth found its way into theirs.

“That’s what Mommy says too,” she grumbled as she readjusted herself on my back.

A petite woman with a shock of red curls marched in my direction with an angry look on her face that told me she must be Livvy’s mom. “Hey you!” She folded her arms and stopped right in front of me, blocking my path forward.

“Me?”

“Yeah you.” She poked me in the chest. “Let the girl go.”

Yep, definitely Livvy’s mom. “Relax. She was lost and I offered to stay with her until we found her mom. Now that you’re here, the problem is solved.”

“Hey Mia, this is my new friend Rebel. He’s in a club.” Livvy’s proud voice and her obvious seal of approval made me smile.

“He’s not your friend,” she said with a scowl, and motioned for Livvy to get off my back. “He’s a stranger, remember what we said about strangers?”

Okay, this lady was starting to piss me off. “A stranger who helped keep her safe from a stranger who might want to hurt her.” I knew predators and there were plenty everywhere you looked. “You’re lucky it was me and not someone else.”

“Yeah, well we don’t need your help.” She grabbed the little girl’s arm.

“Mia don’t be mean. I was crying and he helped me.” She tugged on her mom’s arm and gave it a good shake. “He’s nice.”

At least she liked me.

“It was nice to meet you, Livvy.” I offered her my fist and she giggled.

“Nice to meetcha too, Rebel!” She waved, frowning when Mia pulled her away. Livvy turned over her shoulder and continued to wave.

I watched until they were eaten up by the crowd before I returned to my bike and kept my gaze on Nikki as she talked to her callers, laughing and commiserating with them. She was so damn compelling, it was what had drawn me to her years ago. Even from a distance her smile made me feel things I probably shouldn’t, since she never called.

I planned to find out why, and I planned to do it today. While I watched Nikki, my mind went back to the little girl, Livvy. She seemed so familiar to me, which made no sense because I’d never met her bitchy mom before. Still, those green eyes and the way she was so inquisitive stood out to me. Maybe my heart was just softer towards kids since my club brothers started having families?

“All right my fellow road warriors, this song is just for you.” Nikki’s voice carried over the crowd as the band on stage began the opening strains of ‘Life is a Highway’.

I smiled as the lyrics started. It was the song that was playing when I finally went up to Nikki and introduced myself. She hadn’t called all those years ago, but maybe she hadn’t completely forgotten me?